License-plate carrier and signal.



R. S. BAKER. LICENSE PLATE CARRIER ANI) SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILD SEPT. I2`. I9I4. v

Patented Dee. 7, i915..

VUT

Q (heating to change y operated by the saine ine/thans remaining lugares are on a ot Ohio, have invented means Vfor an electric RALPH B.

BAKER, OF GALIGN, OHIO.

License-PLATE CARRIER AND SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented nee. 7,1915.

Application filed September 12,1914. Serial No. 861,363.

lie it known that l. llamar B. BAKER, a ritizen ot' the lfnited States` residing at (ialion. in the county ot' (i'avv'i'ord and State i i a certain new and use'liul linprovement in LvLicense-Plate Cai.'- i'iers and Signals. ot' which the following is u sneeifiration.

'the invention relates'l to carriers for the lireiiswplates of motor vehicles and the like,l

and to meansy in connection therewith for into a following vehicle an intention the direction oi travel or 'to stop. rthe main obje-xt ot the invention is to provide simple. inexpensive. easily operated means carried hy the license-plate holder for displaying a signal adjacent to such plate which will indicate suoli intention.

Another important ohjeet.is to provide i n'ioving theusual tail-light for sueh'signal, and a turther object is to provide a conspicuously' displayed day signal m. A further import-.int object is to provide motor mounted on the carrier to .impart the desired movements, with means ioi' vermitting the motor to run idly when the display movement is completed and the rurrent still maintained, thus avoiding` in jury to the motor.

`The. invention consists in certain novel features and details ot construction and arrangement by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and Claimed.

The aeetmipanying drawings form a part or' this specitication and show an approved t'o'rm of the invention. l

'Figure l. is a rear elevation ot an antonio` bileA equipped with the improved plate carrier, showing the signals displayed. 1Ille l larger scale. Fig.

n -2 isan elevation ot the plate carrier and license-plate, with its signals undlsplayed.

Fig. 3 is a Corresponding plan View. Fig d ,1.

isa rear elevation corresponding to nig. 2. Fig. is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig.A 4. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the signal-carrying bar and its mo tor pinion alone.

Similar letters of re'terence indicate the same parts in all the igures.

A is a plate.' forming the rear exterior face of the carrier, and projecting at one endA slightly beyond the license-plate M carried thereon. Attached to the rear or inner face of the plate A are two longitudinally fexy A2 serving as tending parallel strips A1 guides for an endwise movable bar C mounted between them and carrying on its projecting end a tail-light B which may be understood to be an electric lamp of any approved type arranged to illuminate the license-plate and show a rear danger signal as usual. The bar C is held between the guides by a corer i t' inclosing portions of the latter and of the bar, and its inward movement is limited by a stop C1 on the inner face ot' the bar, adapted to contactwith- The lower edge of the edge ot' such cover. the har is toothed to Jforni a rack (f engaged by a pinion l)1 of a small electric motor D mounted on the cover A4, controlled by'a push-button or other switch D2 located near the seat or at any point in the ca r conveniently placed for operation by the driver. The motor D is so wound and connected as to rotate the pinion DL in the direction to torce the bar C outwardly in opposition to the force of a helical spring E attached at one end to the slide or bar at the point e and lying within the bar which is hollowed as at c to receive it. and at the Aother end to a pin A3 on the inner face of the carrier-plate A. The outward movement Vof the bar is limited by a cross-bar or stop C1* arranged to strike the vinner edge of the cover A4.

rlfhe bar or slide-C lies normally in the indrawn position indicated by the t'ull lines in Figs. 2, 3 and Li in which position the taillight B stands close to the end o't the licenseplate M and illuminates the latter and shows a' red light at the rear as usual. lVhen it is intended to stop or to change, the direction of trai-*el the driver presses the button D2 and starts the motor D which bythe meshing ot its pinion 1Dl'with the rack C2 immeand is On `releasing the button observed in daylight but to insure an equally conspicuous day signal a strip -or flag F of 'exible material, preferably red glazed oiled fabric, is provided, wound upon aV vertical the spring E in returning the bar. The flag iso is also plainly visible at night by reason of its illumination by the adjacent tail-light. In order to relieve the motor D and permit it to run after the bar C has moved to the full extentof'its outward throw and thus avoid burning out, a recess c1v is pro vided at the inner end of the rack in which the pinion D1 may revolve idly until the push-button D2 is released. On-tlius cutting off the current the pinion D1 and'its motor armature offers no resistance to the return movement induced by the spring El Flexible electric connections are provided to permit the tail-light to be reciprocated with the bar C Without breaking its lighting circuit, and it will be understood'that batteries, not shown, or other sources of electric energy are provided, both for the tail-light and Vfor the motor B.

The carrier may be supported upon the vehicle by any suitable means as by a bracket'Gr only partially shown, and may be 'mounted on the body at any desired location or onone'of the rear mudguards, as

indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or at any selected point.

Either the tail-light B or flag' F may be omitted relying upon the remaining signal to give the desired Warnings, and the device may be used vindependently of the licenseplate, hut it is preferred for reasons ot' econonriy andconvenience to utilize the plate carrier to contain .the mechanism, and the 'tail-light asia signal. Other types of lai-nps may be substituted for the tail-light. A

Other modifications may he made in the .forms and proportionof the parts Vand in the larrangement of the operating mechanism without .departing from the invention.

I claim 1. A carrier adapted to display a licenseplate mounted thereon, a tail-light slidable toward and away from said license plate and arranged to illuminate .said plate and', show a rear signal and carried bysaid can.4

rier adjacent to4 said plate, an electric motor and mechanism in said carrier'for-moving ,said tail-light relatively .to said plate.

2. A carrier adapted to display a licenseplate mountedthereon, a bar slidably mounted in said carrier, a rack on said bar, a signal carried by ,the-latter, lan electric motor.

in saidl carrier, a pinion on said motor in Q A carrier adapted to display a-license- ,plate mounted thereom a har slidahly mount- Isecured to said har, electric mechanism in mesh with said rack, and connections from said'motor-to a switch for energizing said n iotor and thereby moving said signal relatively to said plate.

plate mounted thereon, a bar slidabl mounted in said carrier, a rack on vsaid bar, a signal thereon, stops on said bar and -carrier for limiting the longitudinal n'iovemei'it of said bar in each direction, an electric motor having a pinion in mesh with said rack, the latter having a recess/in which said pinion may revolve idly at the end of one extreme movement-oi' said bar', and a spring for returning saidbar.

i. A carrier adapted to display a licenseplate mounted tliei'eon, a bar slidahly mounted iii'sai'd carrier, a rack on said har, a taillight thereon adapted to illuminate said plate and to show a rear signal, stops en said b ar and vcarrier orlimiting the longitudinal movement ot' said bar-in each direction,l an electric motor having a4 pinion in '-mesh with said rack, the latter having a recess in which sa'i'd pinion may. revolve idly 90 at the end of one xxtreme movement of said bar, and a spring for returning said bar.

5. In a'device of the cliai'aeter'set forth, a carrier, a bar sli-d'ably mounted therein, a

roller on said carrier, a Hag on said roller arranged to he automaticaliy wound there' 'on and having its free end secured to said 4`har, a tail light movable with said bar as -the fiag is wound or'univound, and electric mechanism in said carrier for moving said b ar and univimlingamI displaying said flag. ln a device ot the character set ortli,

l a carrier,- a bai' slidahly mounted therein, a

rack on said bar, a roller on said carriei,1a

flag on said roller arranged to be aiitoii'iati- 105 cally wound thereon and having its free end secured to said bar, stops on said har and. carrier torliiiiiting the longitudinal movement of said bar in each direction, an electric motor having a pinion in -mesh with-said rack, the latter having a recess in which said4 pinion may revolve idly at the end of one -extreme movement of said bar, anda spring lfor'returning said b ai.

7. In a device ot' the character set forth, 115

and arranged vto illuminate said Hag.

8. A carrier adapted to display a licenseed in said earrier, a roller on said carrier, a flag on said roller arranged to be automatieallywound thereon and having its freeend said carrier for moving said bar and iinwinding and displaying said lieg, and a taillight carried by said loaf and adapted to illuminate said and plate and to show reef signal.

i). A carrier adapted to display :L licenseplate mounted thereon, a linx' sliflably mounted in said carrier, a wick on said bm', :i riollei on said carrier, a flag on sind roller arranged to be automatically wound thereon and hilving its free end secured to said har, a taillight on said bar adapted to illuminate Suid plate and fleggand show a reni' signal, stops on said bar and carrier for limiting the longitudinal movement ol said bai' l in each direction, :xn electric motor having a pinion in mesh with said rack for moving said bei und nnwinding and displaying said Haig, said ravli having a recess in which said pinion may i'e\jolve idly at the end 0f the extreme fing-displaying movement of said bar, and a spring for i'elu'ning said loa-1'.

.ln testimony that l. claim the. invention above Het forth l alix my signature, in presence of two witneeses.

` RALPH B. BAKER.

lVitnesses: i

FRANK PlonoN, L. l. iIAR'lx 

